Michael Beschloss
- Presidential Historian, NBC News and PBS NewsHour
- New York Times Columnist and #1 Best-Selling Author
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District of Columbia
Michael Beschloss Speaker Biography
Michael Beschloss is an award-winning historian and the author of eight books -- including, the acclaimed New York Times best seller The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945.
On May 8, 2007, Simon and Schuster published his most recent book, Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989. In the first review of Presidential Courage, Kirkus Reviews writes, Engrossing. . .marvelous. . .and judicious. . .History written with subtlety, verve and an almost novelistic appreciation for the complexities of human nature and Presidential politics. First printing of Presidential Courage is 250,000, with an excerpt in Newsweek.
Newsweek has called Michael Beschloss the nation's leading Presidential historian. He serves as NBC News Presidential Historian the first time any major network has created such a position and appears regularly on Meet the Press, Today, and all NBC network programs. He is a regular on PBS The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. In 2005, he won an Emmy for his role in creating the Discovery Channel series Decisions that Shook the World, of which he was the host.
Michael Beschloss was born in Chicago in 1955. An alumnus of Williams College, he also has an advanced degree from the Harvard Business School. He has been an historian on the staff of the Smithsonian Institution (1982-1986), a Senior Associate Member at Oxford University in England (1986-1987), and a Senior Fellow of the Annenberg Foundation in Washington, D.C. (1988-1996).
- Leadership From the Board Room to the Oval Office
Drawing on his years studying leadership at the Harvard Business School and as a presidential historian, Beschloss, customizing his presentation for each audience, picks the most brilliant successes and the most lethal mistakes made in business and politics – and shows what they can teach us. - Presidential Courage
What makes a great U.S. president? Michael Beschloss believes the answer is "presidential courage": the willingness to take a political risk that might end a president's career-and the wisdom to do that for reasons that later Americans will admire. In a presentation based on his book Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989, Beschloss describes crucial times when courageous presidents took such risks and overcame obstacles to dramatically change the future of the United States. From George Washington to Ronald Reagan, the presidents Beschloss focuses on addressed some of the most paramount, abiding issues in American history-war and peace, human rights, and the proper balance between government and business. A natural storyteller, Beschloss details the outstanding traits of these presidents, and then compares them to the current crop of presidential candidates, for in insightful glance into America's political future. He also uses what he has discovered about presidential courage to provide leadership lessons for all of us. - Great Presidents Past and Present
As a master in his field, Beschloss brings us inspiring, humorous and tragic never-before-told stories of American presidents – from George Washington to George W. Bush – as they struggle with war, peace and domestic crisis. He reveals the qualities that have made great presidents in history and shows how to find leaders who have them now – in politics, business and civic life. - The Washington, D.C. You’re Not Hearing About
From his talks with presidents, Supreme Court justices, diplomats and members of Congress and his quarter-century in the capital, Beschloss reveals the hidden side of important personalities and behind-the-scenes developments that may soon have a major impact on your life. - Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy
